Fury as California Governor Newsom claims ‘he doesn’t know how LA wildfires happened’ and appears to throw LA Mayor Bass under the bus for not giving him ‘straight answers’ – as death toll rises to 16 amid empty reservoir

California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing fresh anger after claiming he doesn’t know how the Los Angeles wildfires happened – while appearing to blame other officials, including beleaguered LA Mayor Karen Bass.

Mr Newsom has been accused of ‘passing the buck’ in his latest efforts to defend his response to the state’s devastating ‘Palisade Fire’ inferno, as the official death toll rose to 16 today.

The man previously touted as a potential Democratic presidential candidate has also faced criticism for cutting $100 million in funding intended to tackle wildfires.

Meanwhile, Ms Bass has been described as ‘the most hated woman in America’ for her response to the ongoing disaster, with intense fires continuing to rage and spread across California.

The growing reaction comes as:

Both Ms Bass and Mr Newsom were filmed having awkward encounters with people raising public fears and demanding answers about the emergency response – with the governor confronted by a Californian mother and the Major by a reporter from Sky News.

Investigations are mounting into why California’s 35-million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir has been out of action for nearly a year for repairs, reportedly left empty and unable to supply much-needed water. provide water supplies to help fight forest fires.

Mr. Newsom has written a letter to LA officials asking why there has been so little water available in recent days — but a new podcast interview in which he sought to shift responsibility elsewhere has only fueled more anger against him.

Mr. Newsom, California’s governor since 2019, told the Pod Bless America podcast and interviewer Jon Favreau that he had struggled to get “straight answers” from his own officials about what happened.

He said, ‘So I’m the governor of California and I want to know the answer – I have that question, I can’t tell you, by how many people, “What happened” – in my own team, “What happened?”.

“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t get any straight answers.”

Favreau, a former aide to former U.S. President Barack Obama, recounted how one of his “best friends” lost his home in The Palisades and felt Newsom was “just trying to shift the blame” to local leaders.

The governor responded, “We had my team talk to local leaders and say, ‘What’s going on?’

“I got different answers – and so, when you start getting different answers, I don’t understand the actual story.”

He insisted he wanted to give officials “grace” to assess the situation.

But viewers and listeners are unimpressed, with comments about X including: ‘There goes his chances of one day becoming President of the US. Adios Gavin.’

Other responses included “He should be fired,” “Sir, you are the manager,” and “I certainly don’t want to hear any more explanations or excuses.”

Another

The governor’s latest interview came after a A California mother went viral when she called out Newsom for his bumbling response to the Los Angeles fires.

Rachel Darvish told Fox News she was furious with California’s governor after he sought a response when she pursued him.

Mr. Newsom claimed at the time that he tried to reach President Biden on the phone but said he could not get a cell connection, which Mr. Darvish said was indicative of his mismanagement of the crisis.

Meanwhile, with thousands forced to flee some of the city’s poshest enclaves as homes and businesses burn to the ground, Ms. Bass is coming under increasing pressure.

But she remained silent when challenged by a reporter from Sky News, who asked questions including: “Do you owe the citizens an apology for being absent while their houses were burning?”

As the mayor stood stony-faced, the reporter continued, “Do you regret cutting the fire department’s budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor? Have you nothing to say today?’

Still without getting any answer, the reporter asked again, “Do you have absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?” Elon Musk says you are completely incompetent. Are you reconsidering your position?’

Despite the questions, Ms. Bass remained completely silent for almost a minute before walking away from the interviewer.

A Change.org petition demanding her immediate resignation has now passed 91,000 signatures.

The Democratic mayor was on a taxpayer-funded trip to Ghana last Tuesday despite warnings from weather experts that Santa Ana gusts of 80 miles per hour could spark catastrophic wildfires.

And she has faced more criticism today after posting a video message on

Ms. Bass accompanied the video by saying, “On the ground here in Sylmar, she is being updated on the ongoing efforts to combat the Hurst Fire.

“Thanks to the courageous efforts of @losangelesfiredepartment and other departments working together, the fire is 76% contained.”

The responses included disparaging comments such as, “Pro tip is that as a leader, you usually shouldn’t smile during the worst disaster in California history.”

Others wrote messages like “We don’t agree with you resigning,” “As if she cares? No way!’ and ‘Did you go there just for the pictures? To pretend to do something. We are not stupid. Please resign. Nobody wants you’.

And other criticism of the mayor and other local leaders has come from Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who said city leaders have failed her department by not providing enough money for firefighting.

She also took aim at the lack of water, saying, “When a firefighter comes to a hydrant, we expect there to be water.”

The reservoir is believed to have been closed for repairs in recent weeks after damage to a cover intended to maintain water quality Los Angeles Times first reported.

The draining of the reservoir is said to have started last February after a crack in the water cover allowed dirt to enter the water supply, before it was drained and quotes for repairs were issued in April – the status of any response remained unclear.

Fire hydrants on higher streets are also believed to have dried up, leaving firefighters struggling with low pressure levels.

LADWP union leader Gus Corona has said: ‘It is completely unacceptable that this reservoir has been empty for almost a year due to minor repairs.

“This work should have been done in-house, and they shouldn’t have had to rely on a contractor to do it. I truly believe this was something that could have been avoided.

“I’m glad the governor is stepping in and investigating why this happened and holding people accountable.”